Assistant Principals' Report
Hello and welcome to our newsletter item for this week.
Welcome back!
We hope everyone had a wonderful break, resting and recharging the batteries ready for another great term of learning at HPS. We look forward to working with all the students across the term with some exciting upcoming events including Year 6 camp, Education Week and Year 3 incursion ‘Nourish and Flourish’ just to name a few.
Active Schools Initiative
Over the past several months we have been working with Banyule Council on ways they can support us with travel to and from school. With the aim to making drop offs and pick-ups easier for our school community. This week the council installed some bicycle loop racks on Cape Street and Darebin Street for our school community to utilise. We are encouraging students to cycle or scoot to school with their family and continue to store their bike or scooter outside the bike storage area near the Cottage Garden. Parents and carers can secure their bikes on our new bicycle loops. We are also liaising with the council on ways we can promote health and fitness amongst the students with student workshops through RACV and getting involved with Walk to School Safely Day coming up next month.
What is an active school?
An active school encourages physical activity beyond traditional physical education and sport and promotes physical activity at every opportunity throughout the school day - before, during and after school.
An active school takes a whole-school approach to get students moving and:
- promotes physical activity as an integral part of the curriculum and everyday school life
- seeks ways to integrate movement into daily school routines
- connects with the local community to create pathways for continued physical activity
- helps students develop the skills and confidence (physical literacy) to be active for life.
Benefits of becoming an active school
There is a wealth of evidence supporting the role schools play in promoting physical activity. Creating an environment where movement is a natural part of the school day leads to wide-ranging benefits including improvements in:
- classroom behaviour
- brain function and concentration
- learning outcomes
- motivation
- social interactions
- physical health
- emotional and psychological well-being.
Have a great weekend and week ahead.
Helen Thomas & Monique Rankin
Assistant Principals
Heidelberg Primary School